Flour sifter



Aug., 2s, i923.

J. R. MAAS FLOUR SIFTER Filed April 5, 1925 llllllll Patented Aug. 28, 1923.y

' 'nNrrl-:n stares intense" '-.znooe s. Hans, or o'HrCAGo, ILLINOIS.

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/ppiircation niet April 5,

' ments in flour sitters, 'suchas used in the average householchand it pertains Vparticularly to means rendering such' 'sifting deviceV suitable for storing noun-thereby enabling the householder to keep-.the device .on the pantry. shellc andato use it trom dayto day,.

without danger of spillingv flour on shelf or floor. Y Y v To this end myobjectis to provide, in ar device of the character mentioned, a pivotally hung bottom,which normally maintains the sitter device closed so tightly that no flour will bespilled. A further Object is the provision of convenient operating means, whereby. thefLbotto-m may Ybe turned onV Aits pivot entirely out of the wayo fthe falling flour, during the sifting operation. AnotherA object is to lock the bottom in withdrawn position during `the .sifting operation. A furtherv object is-the provision ofimproved means or rotating the. agitator within the sitter. Another object is tocombinethe various features justv enumerated for simultaneous operation, by the onev hand'holding the device, leaving the other hand entirely free f for other purposes. 85

With the foregoing objects in view my invention consists in the various combinations hereinafter described and claimed;` anda drawing is Vhereto annexed, illustrating the application of my device to a flour sitter.

In the-drawing: .Y

'-Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section of a flour sitter embodying the invention,

Fig; 2 illustrates the device las' viewed from the rear, and parts are broken away in order to disclose the enclosed operating mechanism of my device.

The sitter comprises a cylindrical'shell 1,- intofwhich is set a substantially semispherical screen 2, above'which is Aplaced a pivotally mounted `agitator 3. Rigidly mounted on the shell 1 is a tubular handley 4, within which practically all the operating mechanismof'the device is placed. Anoperating rod fprojeots above the handle, and

1 923. 'serial nfseaoie'. y

this rod is provided with a toothed side edge 6 meshing with a gear pinion 7 oit' the agitator pivot. S. A. Vdepression of the rod 5,. which for thispurposejis-litted with a nngerpieoe 1Y0, causes the pinion 7, and with it'fthe' agitator 3, ,to 'revolvek f A suitable spring 11 serves to restore the rod to its initial porsi-V tion. Y It is readily seen Yby those ,versed in the art,.that a series of depressions orfthe rod 5,"by the thumbiof thehand holding'the device, imparts 'a continuation of revolutions Patient 4niet'ics.A

to the agitator. The person performingthisv Y operation may simultaneously be stirring the substance,`into which the 'sifted Hour falls; n

with the other hand, thereby aiording a great improvement over the old style sitters, in which both'hand's arevemployed, one to the other Lto turn the hold the sifter and agitator. l ,Y

kBelow the'rod 5,A and in continued alinement therewith, is a bar 12, and thisbaris provided on one 'edge with vgear teeth 13,

which in turn mesh with the teethfof a pinion 14. Thel latter'rotates on orwith a pivot 1.5, and it carries with ita pairof ari'ns` 16, which arms arerigidly mounted on the flange 17 V`of a bottom ,disc 18. 'A' suitable spring` 19 serves to maintain'the parts lastV Vmentioned in their normal, elevated position, Y

wherein the bar 12 abutsth'e bottom end of the rod 5. In view'of Athe foregoing it is' readily understood that a depressionof the rod 5 causes the bar'12 to move'downward, and to turn the sitter-bottom on its'piVOt. The parts are properly proportioned. to swing the bottom entirely out oli" the way,

substantially as indicated-in dotted outline v in Figjl. Adjacent to the bar 12l is hung` aV spring 21 isfurged into engagement with a depressed, thereby maintaining the 7 sitter pawl 20, which by gravityo-r by a'suit'able bottomopen'. vThev person operating the de-`v` vice can now pump 'theagit'ator rod as'lo-ng as required,withoutdanger of closing. the bottom. Itis true, ofcourse, that 'therod, at the end of its stroke maystrike the nend of the bar 12,'but the opera-tor soonbeco-mes cognizant of this lcondition and learns not to Y'depressrthe rod quite so'far. In other words, the initial` stroke should be complete, andv the `succeeding pump strokes a triiie shorter. A slight' pressure on the heel 23 of the` pawl 2O suilicesto disengage the pawl from the notch inthe bar, whereupon the bottom of the sitter instantly is drawn closed by its spring. i ,l y

It may be suggested that the spring ll will have to be quite'poweriul in order to rotate the agitator While restoring the rod '5, 'and that, for this reason the pressure required on the ingerpiece l Will be so great as to malie the Vdevice hard to operate. That, of course, will entirely depend upon the size, or rather diameter of the screen and agitator. But

` this diiiiculty may also be overcome by intro;

Aducing a ratchet mechanism, substantially as shown. ln order to employ suoli ratchet mechanismit is necessary that the pinion 7 be loosened so as to turn freely on the pivot 8. Rigid on the vend of this'pi-voft is then mounted an arm 2li carrying a spring-held pavvl 25, and the latterrides in the teeth oi' the pinion. A depression of theY lrod 5 re= sults in rotation of the pinion against the direction of and carrying With it the pawl 25, the armi and the agitator. VAs the latter again rises fit is 'seen that the paWl clicks idly over the gear teeth.. ln other Words, theiagitator-i's then viven an intermittent movement in the same direction.

As the device of my invention is intended for use as a combined and seli contained flour can and flour sitter it is, of course, Well to provide a cover on the shell 1'. Such cover, 2G, is shown in the drawing pivotally hung at 27, but Whether hinged or entirely detachable, it shouldbe made kfairly tight, so that no dust or moisture will get into the can. Y,The flange 17, onthe hinged bottom i8,

, is also quite important, as it prevents spilling of what little flour may be shalren through the screen, when thedevice is not in operation as a sitter. l

l Wish itY clearly understoodY that the Y structure shown in the drawing is merely pictorial, and that I reserve right to modiiy the parts and movements sufficiently to produce a marketable device. It is alsorto kbe understood that only suilicient is shown to indicate the construction of my device, and that the mechanic Willbe required'to provide guides for the sliding rod and bar, and to perform such additional operations as usually come Within the lscope of his ae tivities. Y

Igclaimzv i y 'I f V1. In a normally closed ilour sitter provided With a handle rigidly ailixed, a screen, anjagitator, means operable Yby the hand gripping the handle to rota-te said agitator,

and means actuated by said rotating means to ropen the bottom of the device.

' 2. In a normallyv closed iiou'r container, means for holding the container With one hand, and co-operating meansfor rotating said agitator and opening the bottom ofthe container v vith the saine hand; l l

3. In a iiour container comprising, a shell,

a handle rigid on the shell, andV anormallyi closed bottom, means projecting from ysaid lhandle and operableV by the hand clutching thel handle, to open Vsaid bottom, and means maintaining said bottom opened. y

4. A iiour container comprising a shell having aVV rigidly aiiiXed tubular handle, a screen Within the shell, an agitator for said screen, means enclosed Within said handle and operable by the Vhand Vgripping the Y eov a projecting iingerpiece ,oper-able bythe -f hand gripping the handlerv Y, Y,

7i. in a iio'ur conta-incr,V a 'eylindricalgs'helh a tubular handle on. s'aid shell, va hinged bottom normally closed, an operating rod vertically movable Within;V said lV handle amd connected to swing the bottom upon Vits hinge, said rod depressible bythe hand "engaging the handle, andinanually releasable means maintaining the bottom fopen.

e. in a from Container, 'a cyiindrieai einen..

a tubular handle rigid-ion the shell, a hinged bottom normally closed, anloperatingsrod vertically movable Within saidv handle, anr agitator pivotally hung vvithinrthe shell; one

.of the pivots extending intofsaid handle, a

pinion on said pivot, said pinion engaged by said 'rod vto rotate the agitator, means.

actuated byv said rod to; lopenth'e bottom,

and aingerpiece onfsaid rod,'said fingen` piece operable by the hand engaging the handle to rotate the agitator. f Y

9. ln a flour container and sitter, a handle, a hinged bottom normallyxclosed, means op-v erable by the hand engaging the-'handle to swing Vther bottombpen, and manuallyV ieleasable means maintaining Vthe bottom open' Vduring the sifting' operation.

10.111 a flour container and sitter, a

handle, a hinged bottomfnormally closed, a

pinion on the pivot of said bottom, aiid means Vengaging said pinionto swing theV bottom @peni on itspivot, said means oper'- able by the hand. engaging the handle;

11. In a flour contaii-ier and' sitter, 'an agitator, means for. rotating said agitator, a hinged bottom Ynorn'i'ally closed, meai'is'ac'- tuatedby said agitator 'rotating'e-iiieaiis toV swing said bottom open, means maintaining Y the bottom open during the sittin'gfopera-` tion, and nieans'releasing the bottomV for' automatic closing.V V 'Y 12.` In a fioiir contain er and sitter, aslfill,

a handle on said shell, a hinged bottoni have` ing Va {lange} encompassing the loiver end of handle, said rod on its downstroke connected to rotate said agitator, and resilient means urging the return of the rod independently of said agitator.

14. In a flour container-and sifter, a shell, V

a handle on said shell, a hinged bottom hav-` ing a flange encompassing the lower extremity of the shell, means within the handle for swinging the bottom open, and. means for maintaining the bottom open during the sifting-operation. l f

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto af- Y fixed my signature.

. JACOB R. HAAS. 

